Cat & Cloud Podcast

Cat & Cloud Podcast Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/Part 2: Cafe Imports Source "Where Do We Go From Here" Panel hosted by Chris Baca - Ep# 457Welcome to Part 2 of this live panel discussion hosted by Cafe Imports recorded at the World of Coffee, in San Diego, CA. Cat & Cloud’s own Chris Baca moderates This Source Event as the conversation shifts into new territory.  We jump back in with Jeremy Lyman (Birch Coffee) in Brooklyn, Laila Ghambari (Guilder Coffee) in Portland, and Kali Solack (Café Regina) in Puerto Rico as they share how they develop team members, why training extends far beyond coffee skills, and what it means to build a company that creates successful people—not just successful cafes. They also discuss e-commerce, wholesale growth, brand identity, customer connection, and the challenges of standing out in a crowded coffee market today, and finding balance as owners. The episode closes with reflections on entrepreneurship, patience, work-life balance, and the lessons these owners wish they had known when they were just getting started.Whether you're growing a coffee company, managing a team, or building something from scratch, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom from operators who have spent years learning what matters most.Chapters00:00 Intro/Growing People vs Growing the Company 05:00 Creating Opportunities and Training 09:00 Why Training Is the Best Investment 15:00 The Value of Long-Term Team Development 18:00 E-Commerce, Direct-to-Consumer & Online Growth 22:00 Wholesale Growth & Strategic Partnerships 25:00 Q & A, Presence and Strategy, Brand 33:00 Advice for New Business OwnersPodcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcastInstagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/Webstore: Coffee and Sweet Merch! www.catandcloud.com/Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptionsWholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesaleCat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared TrubyProduced by Casey RyanJuly 2026

CAT & CLOUD PODCASTCat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/From Soil to Service Part 6: Interview with Cat & Cloud Head of Retail, Herman Madrigal - Ep# 454 EPISODE SUMMARYJared and Chris sit down with Herman Madrigal, Head of Retail and one of Cat & Cloud's longest-tenured team members at eight and a half years. They trace his unlikely path from championship cell phone salesperson to yoga teacher to barista to retail leader, and the specific moments — a TL who knew his order and his name, a cupping at Aptos, a raw conversation with Jared — that locked him in. The conversation goes deep on what it actually takes to build hospitality culture from the inside: why the details matter, how to make team members feel like experts, and the difference between giving people rules and giving people a reason. Herman also shares what he's still figuring out, including how to protect thinking time, empower shift leaders to coach, and whether the Cat & Cloud culture can live outside of Cat & Cloud. He ends with a dream: Mexican street food, intimate counter service, and a line worth waiting in.CHAPTERS00:00 – Cold Open Mustache Energy 03:30 – Welcome Herman: Eight and a Half Years at Cat & Cloud 08:00 – From Championship Cell Phone Sales to Barista 13:00 – How Herman Fell in Love With Hospitality 18:30 – Getting Tapped for Leadership (And Struggling at First) 25:00 – The Hard Conversation That Changed Everything 31:00 – Learning to Lead Through Systems, Not Doing 38:00 – Why the Details Matter: The Seam of the Cup 45:00 – Concierge Choice and Teaching Coffee With Stories 52:00 – Autonomy, Fear, and Why Owners Clamp Down 58:00 – Thinking Time: The Underrated Leadership Skill 63:00 – Herman's Dream: Mexican Street Food & Taking the Culture Beyond Coffee CAT & CLOUD:Podcast Info and Contact:  www.catandcloud.com/podcastInstagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/Webstore: Buy Our Coffee! www.catandcloud.com/Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptionsWholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesaleCat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared TrubyProduced by Casey RyanJune 2026

Cat & Cloud Podcast Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/From Soil to Service Part 5: Interview with Cat & Cloud Head of Wholesale and Partner Program, Marc Gessler (contd)- Ep# 453  In this episode, the team continues the conversation with Marc to explore what great hospitality actually looks like in practice—from cafés to wholesale partnerships. They cover the importance of core promises over rigid SOPs, creating memorable guest experiences, building authentic relationships, and why being a "good hang" is a business advantage. Marc shares insights on partner success, responsiveness, scaling hospitality without losing personal connection, and the role that fun, curiosity, and genuine care play in building lasting relationships. The episode is a reflection on service, culture, leadership, and staying true to the promise of taking care of people.Chapters 00:00 - Hospitality Starts with Intent 03:00 - Core Promises vs. SOPs 06:00 - Making It Right for Guests 09:00 - The Spirit of Great Service 12:00 - Building Strong Wholesale Partnerships 15:00 - Why Being a Good Hang Matters 18:00 - Fun as a Business Strategy 21:00 - Taking Care of People at Every Scale 24:00 - Growth, Leadership, and What's Next 26:30 - Relationships Over Transactions 27:30 - Closing Thoughts with MarkCat & Cloud:Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/Webstore: Buy Our Coffee! www.catandcloud.com/Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptionsWholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesaleCat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared TrubyProduced by Casey RyanJune 2026

Cat & Cloud Podcast Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/From Soil to Service Part 4: Interview with Cat & Cloud Head of Wholesale and Partner Program, Marc Gessler - Ep# 452  Chris and Jared sit down to trace Marc’s full arc — from a listener and fan of the Cat & Cloud podcast, to becoming the Partner Program's Wholesale Director. From a six-page job application essay, his powerful first glimpse of a teal coffee bag, and what it actually means for him to take care of the people who take care of your coffee. Marc has been instrumental in the history and success of Cat & Cloud, and shares his knowledge and love of C&C that he takes to cafes, restaurants and businesses around the country.Chapters0:00 —  Intro & welcome 3:30 — Marc's 9-year anniversary gift & nudibranch obsession 8:00 — Marc's coffee origin story 14:00 — The six-page application essay 19:30 — First days at Cat & Cloud 24:00 — Moving into wholesale 29:30 — Mid-roll sponsor 30:30 — What wholesale is really about 38:00 — Listener call-in: Jake from The Perch 41:30 — Mission, values & autonomous decision-making 44:00 — OutroCat & Cloud:Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesaleInstagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/Webstore: Buy Our Coffee! www.catandcloud.com/Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptionsCat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared TrubyProduced by Casey RyanJune 2026

Cat & Cloud Podcast Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/From Soil to Service Part 3: Coffee Roasting Field Trip and Interview with Cat & Cloud Roastery Leaders continued -  Ep# 451Chris Baca continues his interview with the Head of Coffee Roasting at Cat & Cloud, Jonson Henry and Connor Doyle. What starts as an honest look at the operational pressures of running a roastery — labor challenges, unpredictable wholesale orders, the stress of being the last line of defense — opens up into something deeper. We hear about the transition to a new leadership structure, the philosophy of building systems that outlast any one person, and what it means to let go of a military-bred "eat last, sleep last" leadership style in a coffee roastery. Then it’s time for a FIELD TRIP!  Chris Baca joins Connor in the Roastery for an actual live roast, and the episode shifts into something genuinely rare — real-time, unscripted coffee science happening right in front of you. Enjoy!Chapters00:00 Welcome Back & Series Recap07:00 Building Systems That Outlast You13:00 The Invisible Work of Leadership20:00 The Navy Mindset & Letting It Go26:00The New Team Structure30:00 Gratitude and Appreciation34:35 FIELD TRIP - Live Roast Begins 42:00 Airflow, Damper & Rate of Rise50:00 Always Pursuing Better57:30 Evaluating the CurveCat & Cloud:Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/Webstore: Buy Our Coffee! www.catandcloud.com/Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptionsWholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesaleCat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared TrubyProduced by Casey RyanMay 2026

Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com/In Part 2 of the From Soil to Service series, the Cat & Cloud Roastery team pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to roast, organize, and ship tens of thousands of pounds of coffee while still staying connected to craft, quality, and intention. Connor Doyle and Jonson Henry share their very different paths into coffee, the realities of scaling a growing roastery, the science and artistry behind roast profiling, and the challenge of building sustainable systems without losing the soul of the product. The conversation moves from coffee tasting rituals and production workflows to leadership transitions, team culture, and what it means to create coffee experiences for café guests and coffee lovers around the world. This is the First of Two Episodes on Coffee Roasting! Chapters00:00 — Welcome Back to From Soil to Service 02:15 — From Teaching, Tech, and the Navy Into Coffee 06:00 — Discovering the Roastery Side of Cat & Cloud 09:30 — The Reality of Roasting 30,000 Pounds of Coffee 13:45 — Staying Connected to Craft at Scale 17:30 — Daily Coffee Tastings and Sensory Training 21:00 — Roasting as Science, Intuition, and Adaptation 25:00 — How Weather and Environment Change Coffee 28:15 — QC, Cupping, and Constant Profile Adjustments 31:45 — Co-Ferments, Flavor Philosophy, and Personal Taste 35:00 — The Organized Chaos of the Roastery Workflow 38:15 — Building Systems That Can Actually Scale 41:00 — Leadership Transition: Johnson to Connor 43:00 — Sustainability, Team Culture, and the Future of the RoasteryCat & Cloud:Webstore www.catandcloud.com/Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptionWholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesaleInstagram www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations. Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared TrubyProduced by Casey RyanMay 2026